Plug.



O. PROOHAZKA.

PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 13, 1914.

1,121,664. l vPatented nee.22,1914.

A from/fris or'ro PRocHAzKA, or. DETRdIT, M1'cii'ienrrfA f Application led February To all 'whom t may concern.' i

Be ib known that I, O'r'ro PnooHAzKA, citizen of the United States of America; re-

' siding at Detroitgin the'county of Wayne and efficient structure that may be easily and and tate of Michigan,-rhave Jinvented certain new ,and useful Improvements in Plugs, of which the following isa specification, reference beingfhad therein to the accompanying drawings.-

My invention relates to` plugs for` electrical \sockets and has among the objects ,thereof to provide a plug whichJ may be easily and quickly engaged with or disengaged from the socket; to provide .such a plug lthat may be positively locked" within the socket; and further to provide a simple cheaply manufactured. n

Other Aobjects of the invention will more fully hereinafter appear. The invention resides in the peculiar construction, arrangement and combination of parts fas hereinafter set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional View through the plug; Fig. 3 is a View partly in section, showing the plug engaged with,

the socket; and Fig. 4 illustrates a detail of construction.

A. designates the body of the plug,and B` the portion adapted to be inserted into the socket C, both the body A and the portion B being formedof suitable insulating material and being of suitable configuration.

D is the usual spring Contact at the inner end of the plug and is electrically connected to a binding post orterminal E by means of a metallic strip F with which the binding post-herein shown in the form of a screwhas a threaded engagement. tion between the contact D and the terminal -E, however, may be of any suitable construction. lF is the other contact whichis preferably in the form of a threaded metallic segment connected to or embedded in the side of the portion B, and G is a binding post electrically connected to the segment F as by means of Ya metallic strip'H. The latter `has a laterally-extending portion I at its inner end which isthreaded to receive the screw or post G and has itsouter end electrically connected with the segment F as by being soldered thereto. j The body A is provided withan opening J to permit the nge.

Specification of Letters Patent.

The connec- 13,1914; serial No. $8,459.

cord or Wire K to extend within the cham- .ber L. The wires of the lcord are connected to the binding posts E and Gjin(the usual manner and preferably the chamber L is of a'size to allow a knot M. to be formed 1n the cord so as to prevent any stresses on the cord being transmittedto the binding posts. In. the construction illustrated, the body portion has a' removable part or cap N whlch 1s held in place yby a screw O. rlhus by' removing the screw O the cap N may be ,detachable and access be given to the lnterlor of the body portion to permit Jthe wlres to be engaged or disengaged from the bmding posts.

4In plugs now in .quite common use, the plug 1sv provided with a contact correspondlng to the contract F, which is in the form of a threaded ring so as to permit the plug to lpg; screwed into engagement with the soc e the portionA B. Upon the o posite side of the portlon -B is positionedp a member P preferablyl in the form of a segment having threads complementary to the threads of the socket. TheL portion of the member B adjacent the member P is cut away as at yA" to permit of movement of the member P. This. member'is attached to a laterally-ex tendlng armO upon an actuating rod P that has the outer end projecting beyond the bodyportion A so as to permit the rod to be actuated. In thez particular form illus- ,trated therod P is arranged at an angle to the axes of the portionB and is normally held in its outward position of/adjustmerit by means of a spring Q havingone end engaging the base R of a chamber S in the portion A and having its opposite end abutting against a collar T fixed on the rod. The member T preferably has a threaded engagement with the outer end of the rod, which will permit the=tension of the spring to be varied.

U is a button ,swiveled upon the outer end of the projection V of the rod P.

With sucha type of plug the latter; 1s not readlly engaged with or-detached 'I- have therefore pro' segment and 1s arranged upony one side of v 4 is desired to engage the plug with the socket, the o erator presses inwardly upon the buttonli which moves the rodP inwal-dl y lagainst the tension of the spring S und shifts the locking member Pto the position vshown in dotted linesin Fig. 2. In this position the distance between the members 14" and P is less than the diameter of the threaded portion of the socket, and the plug may be therefore readilyinserted longitudinally withinP the socket. When so inserted the operator releases the button U and the spring Q, moves the rod IL outwardly, which will cause the vsegments F and P to'e'ngage the threaded portion ofthe socket. To remove the plug it is merely necessary to press inwardly upon. the button U amd then by a longitudinal movement of the plug the latter may be readily withdrawn from the socket.

The member P preferably is formed ofl metal but 4isrnot in the electrical circuit. Therefore the coperatin contacts for engaging the socket are fixe in-position upon the plug, elimnating any movable parts in the electrical c cuit through the plug.

While the tension of the sprin Q- is such.

as to prevent the plug being pu -led out of the socket by any' normal stress upon they cord, however, uite frequently heavy .shades are sus en ed'from the A's'ocketby means of a.- cor and l have, therefore,yprovidedmeansfor positively lookin the plug I Awithin the socket.- The preferre form of this means comprises an eccentric portion W upon the button U, which upon the .turning ofthe button will engage with a bearing orv labutment X on` the body A and posif tively lock the 4rod P against inward movement, thereby preventing lany inward move- ,mentof the section PJ AThe bearing X-Lis preferablyr sligh the turningl o tly'inclined, so thgt upon the button there will be a tendency to draw the` rod P outward, which will tendv to increaseA the distance between -the members F and I.

' While I have illustratedl and described the mechanism which ermite the plug to b e engaged with'the socet b v a longitudinal movement in connection with my improved formioffplug, I do not desire tov limit my protection- -to any particular type of plug,

since it isreadily' apparent that suchmechanism'. may be applied to various plug construction'si- 'Also while I have; shown andl described thepreerred form ofthe invention, I do not desire to limit my protection I to the particular arrangernento` parts illusv trated,y but-consider the invention to be im, broad i enough i' v What I V `1.". A plug comprising a socket-engaging to embodyvarious modiiications. M-

claim as my invention iss-r portion the soc d member onthe soc e -engaging portion for jabody portion, contacts carried by' a 2. A plug comprising a soc et-engaingv and means' for locking said push rodin one et-engagn 'portion2` an adjustable en aging the socket, and a push rod movab e longitudinally of the plug extendin out throu h, theabody portion and arrange at an ang e to the longitudinal axis ofthe plug, said push rod ha/ving one end attached to said adjustable nember, the other end` ex-` tendingout through the body ortion.

portion a'body portion, contactscarrie by the soc et-engaging portion, anan vlarly movable engaging memberon the soc et lengaging portion, and a push rod movable ongitudinally of the plug extending out through the body portionand arranged at an .angle to the longitudinal axis-oi:I the.4

plug, said rod being Aprovided with a latthe push rod extending out ythrough plug, saidI rod being Yprovided with a latf' orally-extending arml at its inner end connected to said locking member, -the other end of the push rod extending out through the body portion, there being aJ socket in the bodyT portion through which' the vrod extends, and a springA arranged in said socket and acting to retain-the rod in one position of its adjustment. 1

4. A plug I' comprising'a socket-engaging portion, a body portion, contacts carried by the socket-engaging portion, a locking member on thesocket engaging portion movable at an angle to the longitudinal axis of/the ioo plug, a push rod movable longitudinally of the plug for actuating said locking member extending out through the body portion,

po'zition of its adjustment. 'Y

. 'A plug comprising a socket-engaging portion, a body portion, contacts carried by the socket-engagingportion, a locking member on the socket engaging portion movable at an angle .tothelongitudinal axis of the plug, a push vrod for actuating said locking member extending vout through the body l portion, and a buttonswiveled upon Athe outer end of said rod, there being a bearing on said body portion-with. which saidbut- 'ton is adapted to engage in one ,position of adjustment of the "button to lock the rod against inward movement, fpr the purpose,

' 6Y A plug comprising a socket-engaging portion, a body portion, .contacts carried' by the socket-engaging portion, a lockmg mem-v ber onv the' socket en aging portion :movable ,at an' angleto the ongitudinal ax1s ofthe member. extending out through the bodyl portion, and a button swiveled upon the outer end of said rod, there being an in- @lined bearing on said body portion with which said button is adapted to engage in one position or' adjustment of the button to lock the rod against inward movement, for the purpose described.

7. E; plug comprising a socket-engaging ,f

portion, a body portion, contacts carried by und l'ixed in relnti on to the socket engaging portion, one oi' said contacts being'a threaded segment, a threaded segmental locking member carried by the plug-engaging portion and adapted to be adjusted at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the plug, a push rod morable longitudinally of the plug having its inner end connected to said seg- -mental locking member and having the other end extending out through the body portion, and a spring acting to retain the rod in its outward position of adjustment.

8. A plug comprising a socket-engaging portion, a body portion, contacts carried by the socket-engaging portion, an adjustable locking member on the socket-engaging portion, a push-rod for actuating said locking member extending out through the body portion, resilient means acting upon saidy push-rod to yieldably retain said locking member in one position of adjustment, and means for positively retaining said, push rod in one position of its adjustment.

9. A plug comprising a socket-engaging portion, a body portion, contacts carried .by the socket-engaging portion, an adjustable locking member independent of the contacts, a push-rod extending out through the body portion for actuating said locking member, and means for locking said pushrod in one position of adjustment.

ln testimony whereof I affix my ysignature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

OTTO PROCHAZKA..

Witnesses:

W. J. BELKNAP, C. B. BEL'KNAP. 

